Tulane finally took advantage of turnover-created scoring opportunity, but the Green Wave defense, ranked No. 1 in Conference USA prior to Saturday, was otherwise shredded by the Houston offense, resulting in a 21-7 halftime lead for the Cougars.

Tulane safety Corey Sonnier's hit on Houston wide receiver Mark Haffner at the Cougars' 30, with David Skehan recovering and returning to the Houston 12. Two plays later Nathan Austin went untouched over the left side from the 11 for his first career touchdown, and Wave had tied the game at 7 five minutes into the second quarter.

The deadlock didn't last long. Houston drove 59 and 68 yards for a pair of touchdowns by freshman Bryce Bell on its next two possessions. Bell also had the first touchdown for Houston, which finished the half with 333 yards.

Tulane did have other scoring opportunities. Thanks primarily to Houston penalties (seven for 88 yards), the Wave reached the Houston 33, 34, 32, 34 and 31. But those possessions ended with two missed field goal attempts by Ross Thevenot, a block of a Thevenot try, a punt and a sack of quarterback Kevin Moore.

The sack of Moore came late in the half after he had replaced Joe Kemp, who was knocked out of the game with what appeared to be a shoulder injury when Houston's Phillip Hunt hit after the ball had been blown dead for delay of game.

Kemp had come in for Moore at the start of the second quarter. Tulane finished the half with 111 yards, 38 of them coming on a Kemp pass to Casey Robottom in the second quarter.